We spent two days in Boston last week. Stayed at the seaport, because we were going to a show at the seaport (our hotel was literally across the street).
So on night one, we went to what I hoped would be a great place - freshly made pastas being the draw...Bar Volpe. The first dish we had led me to believe we might have a great meal in store...
Both the shrimp and squid were very good, delicately fried, nice sauce, etc. Had I only known the rest of the meal would go downhill, I would've ordered two of these and a salad and been done with it. But NOOOO. Significant Eater's Rigatoni all'Amatriciana was...perhaps the worst version of this dish we'd ever tasted. Not that the pasta itself was bad, but everything else about it, from the tasteless weirdly ground up sauce, to too much of said sauce - oy. My spaghetti alla vongole was just as bad. Too much butter in the sauce turning it into a gloppy mess, not that less butter would have saved it...and who uses Manilla clams (or cockles) when you're making seafood pastas in Boston?!?! Oy vey.
Then, to top it off, and I made sure to let our waiter know that "even though the chef prefers the customers to put in the whole order at one time" (when did restaurants become about what the "chef prefers" as opposed to what the customer prefers?) our meal ought be coursed properly, and we were assured it would be...here came a runner over with our main course, while the pasta plates and all the rest of the dirty dishes were still on the table. As runner leaned over to put it on the table, I said - take it back. Just fuck you, morons, and I tried to give a dirty look at the expediter, who refused to look our way. Where was I supposed to put that dish - in my lap? Does anyone have a brain?
Next night, pre-show at the pavilion at the seaport, Legal Seafoods Harborside. The pavilion is right next door...
And as we were eating our oysters, we were listening to soundcheck. Lovely space. Decent oysters (though nowhere near as wonderful as the oysters we ate earlier in the year in Portland). However, my lobster roll...
was a bit weird. The roll itself - nicely buttered and toasted. The lobster inside (almost 1/2 lb.!) was strangely lacking in the texture I want from lobster. Most likely, giant batches of the lobster salad prepared ahead allows the acidic component of the dressing to break down the lobster. Or it's frozen and defrosted. Not great...and not cheap either. Had the lobster salad been made a la minute I'm sure it would've been fine, as the use of a tiny bit of celery was the only other component, and it was barely there - just a little crunch.
On the way to Northampton, I wanted to bring sandwiches to eat in the car (not a great move, but it was going to be lunchtime, so...)
Bob's Italian Foods, in Medford. These were some really fine sandwiches, salvaging our Boston eating experiences on this trip. But not meant for eating in the car, as they're big, messy, and delicious.
